Waste Dumping at Porlier Pass
By: Julian Noel
Dumping of waste from barges was noticed again in the last year around Porlier, and this raised concerns in the residents of Valdes/Lyackson Island. Members of the VIC dug into this a bit further, and the summary of findings is provided below. Should anyone have additional information or any questions, please let us know by using the Contact Us page.
Dumping is a permitted activity, and can occur on any of ten sites in the Gulf of Georgia, one of which is called the Porlier Pass Ocean Disposal Site, (which is actually 10 kms East of Porlier Pass).
In British Columbia, approved material for which no beneficial use or practical land-based disposal options can be identified may be disposed of at designated disposal sites. This material includes:
Permitting is regulated and handled by the federal Ministry of the Environment, (Canadian law under Part 7, Division 3 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999(CEPA 1999)). CEPA 1999 prohibits the disposal at sea of material which may be harmful to human health and the marine environment.
Other stakeholders, such as the Georgia Straight Alliance, monitor dumping activities in the Gulf. They have a wealth of information on this topic on their website: http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=search/node/dumping.
So long as dumpers follow the permitting process, there should be some control and transparency of dumping in our area. Our greatest risk may be un-permitted dumping. If you observe any dumping in the area please document and forward the time and place, (GPS coordinates are ideal), and the vessel name(s). Pictures might be useful also. In this way we can help monitor and protect the sanctity of our local waters.
By: Julian Noel
Dumping of waste from barges was noticed again in the last year around Porlier, and this raised concerns in the residents of Valdes/Lyackson Island. Members of the VIC dug into this a bit further, and the summary of findings is provided below. Should anyone have additional information or any questions, please let us know by using the Contact Us page.
Dumping is a permitted activity, and can occur on any of ten sites in the Gulf of Georgia, one of which is called the Porlier Pass Ocean Disposal Site, (which is actually 10 kms East of Porlier Pass).
In British Columbia, approved material for which no beneficial use or practical land-based disposal options can be identified may be disposed of at designated disposal sites. This material includes:
- Dredged material;
- Inert, inorganic geological matter;
- Uncontaminated organic matter;
- Inert, bulky items such as concrete, steel; and
- Ships, aircraft, platforms, or other structures.
Permitting is regulated and handled by the federal Ministry of the Environment, (Canadian law under Part 7, Division 3 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999(CEPA 1999)). CEPA 1999 prohibits the disposal at sea of material which may be harmful to human health and the marine environment.
Other stakeholders, such as the Georgia Straight Alliance, monitor dumping activities in the Gulf. They have a wealth of information on this topic on their website: http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=search/node/dumping.
So long as dumpers follow the permitting process, there should be some control and transparency of dumping in our area. Our greatest risk may be un-permitted dumping. If you observe any dumping in the area please document and forward the time and place, (GPS coordinates are ideal), and the vessel name(s). Pictures might be useful also. In this way we can help monitor and protect the sanctity of our local waters.
